Midwifery BSc (Hons)

This degree prepares you for a challenging and rewarding career as a midwife. You will combine theoretical study with clinical experience in a range of settings working with London's diverse populations in leading hospitals and community settings.

Overview

Midwifery student at City you will benefit not only from a 120 year history of educating midwives (as the St Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery), but also from facilities including the Clinical Skills Centre, with its state-of-the-art laboratories where you can rehearse practical caring skills prior to your placements.You will combine theoretical study with clinical experience in a range of settings working with London's diverse population in leading hospitals and community settings.

The BSc (Hons) Midwifery course prepares you for a rewarding and challenging career as a midwife, enabling you to support women and their families at a crucial stage in their lives.

Why study Midwifery at City?

Broaden your knowledge through clinical placements in settings such as hospitals, birthing centres, clinics, clients' home and GP surgeries - within Trusts such as Barts Health NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals and Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Learn from our expert staff who are academically, clinically and research active - and up to date with the latest healthcare developments.

Enhance your career prospects - City ranks high for graduate employability and has excellent opportunities for further general and specialist postgraduate study - 88% of our graduates go on to employment or further study after graduation

Gain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and entry to a respected profession.

Gain with tuition fees paid by the NHS - bursaries are also available.

Benefit from our 120 year teaching history.

Entry Requirements:

'A' Level -320 UCAS tariff points from three A2 subjects. 'A' or 'AS' Levels in Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Health and Social Care are preferred.

IB -33 points.

Access to HE Diploma -Nursing, Midwifery, Health or Social Care subject.

Course Fees:

Start Date:

UCAS code:

Due to the high demand for places on NHS funded courses, as well as meeting the stated academic entry requirements, applicants will be required to attend a selection day held at City University London. You will be asked to complete numeracy and literacy tests as well as the NHS Constitution Assessment, which is used to demonstrate that your values match those of the NHS Constitution. For further information and example tests, please visit our Selection Day page.

The conditions of the offer will be made via UCAS. The following are examples of typical offers that are made:

'A' Level -320 UCAS tariff points from three A2 subjects. 'A' or 'AS' Levels in Biological Sciences, Social Sciences and Health and Social Care are preferred.

IB -33 points.

Access to HE Diploma -Nursing, Midwifery, Health or Social Care subject.

Course Content

Year one

You will develop skills, professional knowledge and an understanding of the midwife's role, working in partnership with women and multidisciplinary teams. An introduction to the fundamental principles of midwifery care, including normal childbirth is included.

Year two

Using evidence in midwifery practice, in the second year, you will develop your identity as a midwife. Wider issues such as women's health and the public health role of the midwife are covered. You will be able to recognise the value and importance of working within a multi-professional team to ensure the best possible outcome for women and babies when complexities arise.

Year three

You will gain competence in caring for women who choose to have midwifery-led care, including home birth, as a mode of delivery. You will be supported to develop your autonomy and accountability as a midwife.

Teaching and Assessment

The Midwifery degree is taught by expert staff who are leaders in the field, many of whom have written core textbooks used on the course.

As a student on the BSc (Hons) Midwifery course you will experience a range of learning and teaching strategies including lectures, small groups, tutorials, enquiry based learning, simulated and clinical practice, self-directed learning and e-learning.

The Clinical Skills Centre at the University offers state-of-the-art facilities so you can rehearse practical caring skills prior to your practice placement.

You will have access to a simulated 6-bedded high dependency unit (HDU) with realistic equipment including piped oxygen, call bells, medicines and emergency equipment. In addition, medium fidelity simulators and laboratories, including a biology laboratory, allow you to rehearse skills in preparation for practice in a range of placements, including clinics and people's homes. Our Clinical Skills Online (CSO) resource provides a step by step video demonstration on clinical skills.

Each module is assessed using a range of methods including written assignments, simulations, examinations, practice-based assessments and skills assessments. A literature-based study of 6,000 words is required in the final year.

Fees

Full-time EU: £Tuition fees for home and EU students studying the BSc (Hons) in Midwifery are paid by the NHS.

Placements

The practice experience enables you to put theory into practice and use your skills in a variety of real life contexts through supervised practice. As a City student you will spend 60% of the course on clinical placements and 40% undertaking theoretical study and simulated practice.

You will gain unique work experience through clinical placements in London's leading hospitals and community settings such as Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The 'community of practice' will allow you to consistently build up yourskills whilst working with experienced health and social care professionals. Placements take place in a range of maternity settings such as midwifery-led units, home births, birthing centres, delivery suites, antenatal and postnatal settings, maternal and fetal assessment specialist areas and special care baby units. You will work and learn alongside consultant midwives and specialist midwives.

You will be expected to follow the normal shift patterns of staff working in your allocated placement. This involves placements over the 24 hour cycle of care and may include evenings, overnight, weekends and bank holidays working an equivalent of 37.5 hours per week.

You will receive seven weeks of holiday each year which is pre-planned into the three year course. Midwifery uniforms are provided.

Clinical placements and Communities of Practice

Clinical placements are a vital factor in promoting understanding and development of professional skills. They help you become fit for practice, fit for purpose and fit for award by the time you complete your programme. Each placement provides you with educational opportunities to develop your professional skills.

Placements are undertaken within Communities of Practice. A Community of Practice is a group of healthcare practitioners, who share specific professional interests such as midwifery, mental health nursing, children's nursing, primary care and public health care or adult nursing.

Career Prospects

Careers prospects are excellent, with graduates securing employment with trusts including Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

94% of our midwifery graduates go on to employment or further study after graduation, with our graduates starting their careers with an annual average salary of £29,500. A range of career opportunities are available for midwives in midwifery led stand-alone birth centres, acute units, independent practice, consultant and specialist roles.

Midwifery is a life-long career where you can develop your skills and interests within a range of specialisms including the chance to go onto further advanced practice MSc study in a specialist area at City.

You will receive support from your personal tutor during the course and will be encouraged to explore your personal career aspirations.

This course will enable you to...

...move on to further study. City offers a range of Masters degree courses related to Midwifery, including:

Applications for degree courses must be made through UCAS. You can apply through your school or college using the Apply system, which enables you to submit your application directly to the UCAS website.

You can apply for up to five universities on the form. Please take care to enter the correct course code, particularly for subjects with a foundation year or with BSc and BEng options. UCAS has implemented an 'invisibility of choices' policy so that, on the initial application and while you are receiving decisions, each university can only see their entry and not those of other universities you have chosen. This ensures that your application for a course at City University London is considered solely on your academic and personal qualities. You should submit your completed application form to UCAS with a £21 application fee. If you want to apply to City only, you can make a single choice application at a reduced rate of £11. The UCAS code for City University London is C60.

When to apply

Your application for entry in September 2016 should arrive at UCAS between 1 September 2015 and 15 January 2016. Applications that arrive after 15 January 2016 will be considered only at the University's discretion. When your application is acknowledged by UCAS, you will be sent a personal identification number so that you can access your records via Track on the UCAS website.

Enquiries

For general enquiries about the admissions process, please contact the
School of Health Sciences Admissions Office.